Grinder machine accessory



L. ILLMER Nov, 22, 1949 GRINDER. MACHINE ACCESSORY 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Feb; 2, 1945 II-NVENTORI iiW-AAW L. ILLMER- Nov. 22, 1949 GRINDERMACHINE ACCESSORY 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 2, 1946 Zhwentori Nov. 22,1949 L. lLLMER I 2,488,866

GRINDER MACHINE ACCESSORY Filed Feb. 2, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PatentedNov. 22, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,488,866 GRINDER MACHINEACCESSORY 7 Louis Illmer, Cortland, N. Y.

Application February 2, 1946, Serial No. 645,180

11 Claims. 1

My invention relates to novel improvements in surface grindingmachinery, and is more particularly concerned with abrading a long batchlength of reelable alloy steel or the like elongated stock by the use ofabrasive tape. Said machine is adapted to drag its work piece from 'asuitable stock storage agency in a directed travel path that extendsthrough my grinder unit to rapidly and economically pregrind such workpiece lengthwise in successive passes, the strip travel rate of itselffurnishing the necessary Velocity for intensive cutting action uponhaving relative coarse grit applied thereto.

The present grinder unit is devised to utilize slowly fed paper-backedgrit in roll tape form, the performance being such as to expend its gritlife in a single pass through a localized cutting zone. Because of aprogressive grit loading, the

emerging ground metal strip may in one treatment be given a lustrous orvirtually burnished finish.

A tape supply spool and a corresponding driven offtake reel may feedmultiple comparatively narrow tapes through their respective cuttingzones when such tapes are distributed edgewise across the entire stripwidth. Simple motorized means are provided for slowly driving suchofftake reel and for facilitating a speedy replenishment of taperenewal.

The object of my invention is to devise a refined grinder unit of theindicated character adapted to abrasively treat a long batch length ofreelable stock on a rapid 10W cost production basis. Embodied herein arediverse tape control improvements that promote the end in view.

Reference is had to the accompanying three sheets of drawings whichdepict an illustrative embodiment, and in which: 7

Fig. 1 shows a top plan view of my grinder unit;

and Fig. 2 diagrammatically represents an elevational side view of suchassembly taken obliquely along the section 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 represents a sectional view of my improved tape supply spoolequipped with an inbuilt braking device as taken along 3-3 of Fig. 1;

and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 4A details certain tape securement means.

Fig. 5 presents a sectional view of my takeoff reel. along line 5-5 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 6 is fragmentally taken along 6-45 of Fig. 5 to show a pin gearmechanism for intermittently advancing the tape supply; and Fig. 7 is anelevational side View of such assembly.

. piece.

2 as at I i and the rotor may be perimetrically lagged at MBA with arubber sheath (see Fig. 2).

The motorized rotor axle ll may be coupled at IE to a suitable primemover whereby to drag the work piece I! in a directed travel path. Therotor may be driven in the arrowed direction to impart a desired linearvelocity to said work Such work piece may comprise a single endless loopof stock or multiple strips of finite length laid alongside each otherto fall within the confines of the overall tape width marked W (see Fig.1).

A guide pulley I8 may divertingly direct the surplus strip stock comingfrom a suitable magazine or storage agency onto the rotor perimeter asshown in Fig. 2. The out-turned face of the treated strip I! may besimultaneously preground by a plurality of abrasive paper-backed rolltapes, respectively mounted upon the twin supply spools or drums 2t and2|. The overall tape width of each such tape supply quota is preferablysplit up into aliquot components W that are kept closely spacededgewise. The non-overlapping tape groups of finite length such as 201and MT may respectively be slowly fed into their cutting zones in anobliquely inclined direction to the rotor axis (see Fig. 1). For arelatively large rotor diameter, the cutting zone length as measuredperimetrically, may be kept comparatively long and thus maintain abiased ridge-free cutting lap between each inclined next adjacent tapeinterspace.

The housing girders I2 and l3 may further be spanned by the paralleltrunnion shafts 22 and 23. Afiixed to the respective end regions of eachsuch shaft, are the guide levers 2A and 25 of which corresponding freeextremities may be bridged by a header beam such as 26 or 21. Thesebeams are rendered selectively shiftable toward or away from the rotoraxis. For this purpose, corresponding ends of each trunnion shaft may beequipped with a Worm gear 28 and. a worm 29 that are adjustable inunison through a worm connection shaft 30.

Referring more specifically to these disclosures,

my grinder unit preferably comprises a rotor drum ii! affixed upon theaxle I l that spans the opposed housing girders l2 and I3 in the Fig. 1manner. The rotor rim ends are purposely flanged Each header beam maypivotally carry one or more spring backed shoes l9 placed in tandem andrespectively having a length equal to the tape width W. A springencasing tubular slide 3i may fioatingl-y back the associated shoethereof. Such-backing thrust as applied to a suspended medial taperegion, is preferably kept under moderate intensity per square inch ofgrit contact area and collectively arranged to extend uniformly acrossthe entire strip width W, irrespective of the accompanying beamdeflection.

The tape offtake reels 32 and 33 may respectively be provided withparallel spindles 34 and 35 that are given an acutely obliqueinclination with respect to the rotor axis. As detailed in Fig. 5,

0 each such hollow cylindrical reel may be flanged and have its spindlemounted in frame supported bearings. One spindle end is shown providedwith a coupling 36 of which the adioined members may be interlocked bythe demountable key 37.

The spindles 38 and 39 of the respective tape supply spools 2i] and 2|are preferably disposed in a trailing parallel relation to theirrespective reel spindles in the Fig. 2 fashion. The cylindrical rimdiameter of such set of drums may be kept equal and sufficient in sizethat a standard 50 yard roll of abrasive tape when mutually coiledthereon in suspended relationshipas shown,.may be transferred withoutbuilding up excessive convolutions on either drum. Such dispositionpermits of maintaining a virtually uniform tape feed rate for a constanttakeoff reel speed.

As guided by certain rollers, the path and feed direction of eachsuspended tape 2ST and ZIT are indicated by dotted outline in Fig. 2,the dragged tape being purposely headed downwardly toward the yokedspindle supporting crotch 59'. The coiled tape grit is preferablyexposed exteriorly on the respective drums 32 and 33 where it mayreadily be inspected forproper performance. It will be observed thatVirgin tape preferably enters its cutting zone beneath a backing shoe inthe direction of rotor rotation. Since 'my slowly fed tape is intendedto become substantially spent prior to leaving its cutting zone, evencoarse grit loads sufficiently to impart a virtually burnished finish tothe work piece after being treated in successive passes. The describeddual header beams serve to double the rate of 'stock removal, it beingevident that a single header unit might likewise be used.

When the abrasive is fed as indicated, theresulting cutting plusfrictional drag tends to'strip the supply spool of tape. To counteractsuch stripping, it is preferred to compactly inbuild a relativelypowerful slip clutchunit into each supply spool (see Fig. 3). One orboth'ends of my sleevelike tape supply drums suchas -20 may beeounterbored for the reception 'of the reversely disposed companion sliprings 42 and 43, these being recessed to center therebetween multiplehelical compression springs such as 44.

Said rings respectively thrust against the clutch plates 45 and 46provided with interspaced hubs mounted upon a common spindle 38. Pluralplate clamping bolts 4'! are disposed radially inward of the clutchrings to retain the springs under compression. The use of shims (notshown) allows the frictional clutch to be adjusted to suitdragrequirements. The hubs of the plates 45 and 46 are preferably keyed at48 to the speed controlled spindle 38 while the plate perimeter slidesfreely in the drum counterbore. On the other. hand, the perimeter of therings 42 .and :33 may each be keyed at 49 to the supply drum 20 toeffect a frictional drag between each plate and its slip .ring when thespool sleeve is rotated with respect to the restrained'spindle.

Each frame supported bracket such as 59 may be forked or given a likeyoke 'shape'atiits upstanding end 59' to demountably journal the spindle38 therebetween for unitary removal of my brake equipped tape spool. Onespindle end may be provided with separable spur gears i and 52 arrangedto be intermittently driven by a so called ratiomotor'unit comprisingthe worm reduction gear 53 and a worm filldirectly connected to thearmature shaft of a small .motor M-l. When this motor is inoperative,the worm 54 automatically stalls the spindle 38 but permits the spool 29to rotate thereon while subjected to clutch braking drag. The tapecounterdrag imposed by the adjusted clutch springs is intended to exceedthe cutting drag exerted on the shoe loaded tape by the revolving rotorl0 and hence requires a substantial differential drag effort on part ofthe companion oiftake reel to effect tape transfer. The perimeter of thespool 20 and that of the reel 32 may each be longitudinally kerfed as at5G to respectively engage a hookshaped strap 51 attached to each tapeend in the manner detailed in Fig. 4A.

Referring now to Figure 5, this discloses the preferred mode for slowlydriving my offtake reel 32. Mounted upon an overhanging bracket 58, is asocalled large-range gyro speed reducer comprising the tubular casing59. Through the casing axis there extends a .high speed input shaft 60provided with an eccentric length 6| upon which is mounted a dual gyrogear 62 of the spur gear type. A stationary internal gear 63 meshes withone such spur gear and the other spur gear may mesh with the movableinternal gear 64 keyed to respectively provided with more teeth thantheir mated dualgears 62 whereby the eccentric movement imparted to thelatter-causes a slow advance of the output shaft 65.

The inherent disadvantage of an equivalent double reduction worm gearunit affording a commensurate speed reduction, lies in its defectiveworm behavior due to inadequate lubrication when running at theextremely slow output duty herein required. The more compact spurgearing of the cited gyro unit does not suffer from a like limitation.

In order to adapt said gyro drive to present needs including theprovision for tape feed regulation, it is preferred to snuglysuperimpose a controlled reducer mechanism uponthe casing 59 in the Fig.5 manner. To this end, I may resort to a motorized twin tooth pinion-asembodied in the oppositely disposed cam lobes 61 and 68. The similarnon-circular profiles thereof are respectively shaped to smoothly pickupand periodically .advance in actuated ratchet fashion, a pin rollershaft 60.

As detailed in Figs. 6 and 7, said drive mechanism may be installed in ademountable frame 69 provided with a pinion shaft 10 and a supplementarygear shaft II that respectively lie in parallelism with the input shaft60. Said pinion shaft is coupled at 12 to the speed reducer 13 of theratiomotor type comprising the worm gear 14 that is driven by theconstant speed fractional H. P. motor M--2.

The gear shaft H mounts three laterally spaced pin-connected discs 16A,16B and 16C. For a speed reduction of 6:1 as shown, each next adjacentpair of discs may be bridged by six pin rollers such as IT or 18 whichare relatively staggered about the shaft H to constitute a pin gear. Thecamlike lobes 61 and 68 respectively align with one 'set of such rollersand mesh therebetween.

In the Fig. 6 layout, one rotating lobe 68 has been brought intoengagement with its roller 18 while the other trailing lobe 61 is aboutto engage a contiguous roller 11 to apply torque that progressivelyrotates the gear shaft ll stepwise in non-interferingly enter successivepin rollers thereof and thus permit a rapid frequency rate Save forzlcbeclearancesthezwormrgearreducenzfliii stallss the: gears shaftii H:against. inadvertent reversali:

As regards-thesintendedl modewofi: tape: eeplenishment; each:restockedosupply spool "2 i 1:.

2 i may. initiallyrhavevwound thereon asfuli: quota of fresh? tapeofwhichzthebottom tapeaend mayzhel cleated in place as in Fig. 4A.l. Bybo'dilyfliftingr anrzexhausted: tape supplygspoolwtogether with itsclutches: out of/thespaced sbracket \yokes :50; ans: othersuDp1yrspool=.-with=yirgimtape :mambe: sub' stitutedvin its -.place.-.-Theouter tape endz-thereoi ma n-by;splicingbetrailingly; draggedrthroughzza Fig; 2 tapepath and hooked intcithe kerfnfifipfiitspreviously-emptied ofitake-reel. Aftersuchziresh tape: -supply '=has in.turn::.become exhausted: the coupling-ikeyys'l maypbeavithdrawnto'permit obstructed-rotation: ofaanx-associated-offtake reel-2 Bypthenlstartinggthe motonM-el theispent' tape will: back-:tracksontowimoriginal supply:3sp ool:"for tape removals-purposes: Such: motorizedbacktracking"; of: as long tapealengt'h; 1 .speeds v upsthe dailyproductivecapacity of: :my;-strip grinder-(by miniinizing-gthezservicing :timew otherwise needed on: part of 'skilledelabor when;manuallytranse fer-ring such'tape: V

The :foregoing rather-rexplicit disclosure will; it is vbelievedmakerevidenttothose skilled-in: this art,-.-thermore outstandingcommercialwand"opera at-ive advantages afiordednbyimyitape feedreefinements, it being understood that Lreservei-the right tocorrespondingly ;-modify my single illustrative embodiment; all Withoutdeparting from the-rspirit and scope of myrinventioni heretoforedescribed and. more particularly defined 2 insthe appendedclaimss.

1. A ngrinder .machine-:adapted-:.to treat-aelone gated stock asraiWOFKJIJlLEC :andazwhich machine comprises driverr sdraggrxmeansr-v-to:move the rwork piece longitudinally; in .a :direetedotravel:path,- anabrasive tape of finiteolength operatizvely: applied to said\vorkz'pi'eceziniaclocalized cutting:.-.zone, a

taper supply spool sands a -:matedtakeoff?v reeli oi Whiehthe respectiveaxes arefparal lelly disposed Withn a"; medial tape tpontinn:transf'erablyr sus-e pended therebetweenza spindle mounting: the

supply; spool 1 thereon; braking; means for f the supply spool includinga clutch plate member-and a spring:loaded frictional slip ring memberthat spacedly encircles the spool spindle and one of which members isfixed to the supply spool and the other member isfixed: to saidespindlera clamping bolt entered througlr suchspacing and serving to retain .thering in loadedengagement with saidplate; and' drivemeans'for rotating.

the takeofi reel.

21 A igrindermachine adaptedzito treati'elom.

ferablyrsuspended:therebetween, andnfrictionall braking means for thesupply spool includingaa clutch iplate afiixedmtoothezspooli spindle:and slip fittediswitlirrespect (to csaidwlimand. further tin-r eluding 7a2 cooperating; slip;i:ring,.; affixed to; the

spcol'z riml'in arrrzencirelingigrelationz 139 3584164 spin-r dleg:means-lion axially, impressing; said; ring into flatwisedrictional engaementwith its plate; and: means for:controllably. retaining; the spindleagainst rotationrzl 3.:.A grinderrmachine:;adapted to: treat 61011-2:gated stockias;;a.'wook pieceziand whiclr:machine comprises driven.dragnneans servinggtomovexthe: Work piece: longitudinally: through:a';' directed traizel: path; .amiabrasive tape of finite length; said:tape zbeing:zoperatively'appliedfito the work pieceoimaslocalned;cuttingzone, .a tape supply spool and a mated-:ofitakeereehof'whichrtherree speetiveiaxes-r-are :disposedrini substantial paralz-llelisnmwitii aemedial :tape portioni;trarisferablyv suspended;therebetweemi. spindle rotatably mounting said spool'lthereongzbrakingfor. thessupplytspoolreompnising 'pairxoi zfrietionallyconpledncluteha'membersso .w .ich.:oneyisl;afiizied v to rctatefinunison with therspool'zspind-le and the other?memberxisafnxedrtea rotateinsunison .with the=.supply:spool,aa dtmotorizedrzdrive means; for saidospool;spindieizincludingx a locking agencythatzantomnti'callyastallslftherspindle againstztrostation;whernsaiddinive'meansis renderedvinactive';

lia-Ac grinder :machine adoptedo to treat 61011? gatedostockraseazworkpieeesand;:whichz'zmachine compriseso means for dragging;the-:1 WOl'kJ. piece longitudinally throughasdirectedetravel path; anahrasiveatape iof finiter length; said'tap'e beingoperative'ly'appliedatosthe work pieceriinallocale izedo cutting: zone?a, tapee supply" spool and :1 a matedfiofital: reel-Jowhich therespective :axes are: panallellyrdispcsed: with: a: medialnatape' pore;tione transferably: suspended". therelcetween; a spindle rotatablyimounting: said: I spool thereon; braking zmaa-nsa-ior the. snpp'ly spoolcomprising-Ya pair: of frictionally coupled: clutch 1 members ofwhichmne is aifiizediitoi the spool spindle and; :the other member is aiflied to rotate with'uthesupply spool, motorized drive means :for said:spool: spindlie' i'ncluding r a lockingagency e that i stalls thespindle against-rotation when: said drive means is .1 rendered inactive;another: drive=- means a for rotating the:=offtal'ereel;f a:disengageable cou plir'ig fon tl'i'elast named' drive means; said oou=pling when disengaged"? allowingpreviously transferred tape=to=. backtracl onto the supply spoolfi 5-? AA grinder machineiadopted to treatelon gated stock as a wor-k' piece and which machine is equipped w-itl'"-.driven drag means serving-to move the work piece longitudinallyg anabrasive tape =of finite-"length :01 which a medialportion is'eoperativelyapplied toz the Work piece in a ldc-a'l-i'zed utti r'xgzeneea pair oi rotatable drums dispcsed in' substant parallelism respec=tfvely-having'said ta "VVQLl-llld about such: drums spanningtransferable relationship-,- and a tubii'larr casing mounting thereinstationary internat' gear-r a gear driven: slow speed output shaft and amotorized axially aligned input shaft provided with ans'eccentricupon-Which is mounted interloelz'ed"dualspurgears' 'cfiwh'ich one suchmeshes=witlfithe output shaft gear' and the=other substantially spent inone pass through said cutting zone.

6. A grinder machine adapted to treat elongated stock as a work pieceand which machine is equipped with driven drag means serving to move thework piece longitudinally, an abrasive tape of finite length of which amedial portion is operatively applied to such work piece in a localizedcutting zone, a pair of rotatable drums disposed in substantialparallelism and respectively having said tape wound about such drums inspanning transferable relationship, a speed reducer mounting a highspeed input shaft and a slow speed output shaft, the latter beingcoupled to one of said drums, a reducer drive mechanism including apinion shaft provided with opposed camlike lobes and furtherjncluding asupplementary gear shaft carrying a pin gear thereon that cooperativelymeshes with said lobes, said gear shaft being arranged to drive theaforesaid high speed shaft, and motorized means for rotating said pinionshaft.

'7. A grinder machine adapted to treat elongated stock as a work pieceand which machine is equipped with driven drag means serving to move thework piece longitudinally, an abrasive tape of finite length operativelyapplied to such work piece in a localized cutting zone, a rotatable tapesupply drum and a mated offtake drum having a medial tape portiontransferably suspended therebetween, a speed reducer mounting a highspeed input shaft and a slow speed output shaft, the latter beingcoupled to one of said drums, a reducer drive mechanism, comprising arotatable pinion shaft and a supplementary shaft mounting a pin gearthereon, the pinion shaft having two axially interspaced camlike lobesset in radial opposition and the pin gear comprising multiple laterallyspaced discs of which one pair of next adjacent discs are pininterconnected in staggered relation to the pins of another pair of suchdiscs to successively mesh with the respective lobes, and motorizedmeans for rotating the pinion shaft and which supplementary shaft isarranged to drive the aforesaid input shaft.

8. A grinder machine adapted to treat elongated stock as a work pieceand which machine is equipped with driven drag means serving to move thework piece longitudinally, an abrasive tape of finite length operativelyapplied to such work piece in a localized cutting zone, a pair ofrotatable drums disposed in substantial parallelism and respectivelyhaving said tape wound about such drums in spanning transferablerelationship, a tubular speed reducer casing mounting therein anoutwardly projecting input shaft and an axially aligned slow speedoutput shaft coupled to one of the drums, a reducer drive mechanismsuperimposed upon said casing and including a motorized pinion shaftprovided with camlike lobes and further including a supplemental gearshaft disposed in parallelism with the casing axis to carry a pin gearthereon that cooperatively meshes with said lobes, and change gear meansoperatively interconnecting corresponding ends of the supplemental gearshaft and said input shaft.

9. A grinder machine adapted to treat elongated stock as a work pieceand comprising drag means adapted to move the work piece longitudinallyin a directed travel path, an abrasive tape of finite length operativelyapplied to the work piece in a localized cutting zone, a rotatabletubular tape supply spool of which the ends are respectively providedwith an axially projecting journal, braking means inbuilt into saidspool to comprise a pair of laterally spaced clutch plate members thatare each interiorly engaged by a separate slip ring member havingcompression springs interposed between said rings and means rotating onepair of like members in unison with a journal and for rotating the otherpair of like members'in unison with the supply spool, said braking meansbeing bodily dem'ountable as a unit with the spool.

10. A grinder machine adapted to treat strip stock as a work piece andwhich machine is equipped with a motorized rotor having a work pieceportion belted to the rotor rim and serving to longitudinally move thework piece in the rim travel direction, an abrasive tape of finitelength operatively applied to the outer side of the work piece toconstitute a localized cutting zone thereon, a tape backing shoesuperimposed upon such zone and impressing tape grit inwardly toward therotor axis to subject the tape to a cutting drag, a rotative tape supplyspool and an associated tape offtake reel having an interposed tapeportion transferably suspended therebetween in an acutely obliqueinclination with respect to the aforesaid travel direction, brake meansfor the supply spool imparting a counterdrag thereon when rotated, anddrive means slowly rotating the offtake reel to advance the suspendedtape portion through said zone against the counter-drag imposed upon thesupply spool whereby to obviate stripping tape off of such spool by thecutting drag.

11. A grinder machine equipped with driven rotor means adapted to dragan elongated work piece longitudinally in a certain travel direction, anabrasive tape operatively applied to the work piece to constitute acutting zone which tends to draw along such tape in the aforesaid traveldirection, a tape supply spool and a mated ofitake reel disposed insubstantial parallelism with a portion of such tape transferablyextending between said spool and reel, slip clutch means operativelyassociated with the spool and imposing a dominating brake counter torquethereon superior in magnitude to the drag tendency of the tape cuttingzone, and dual cam lobes together with a cooperating pin gear serving tointermittently actuate the reel in close succession and feed said tapeofi the spool onto the reel.

LOUIS ILLMER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 807,001 Spiro Dec. 12, 19051,993,559 Marchev et al Mar. 5, 1935 2,105,612 Pallas Jan. 18, 19382,244,536 Herchenrider June 3, 1941 2,320,142 Illmer et a1. May 25, 19432,385,445 Illmer Sept. 25, 1945

